Flush tank deodorizer and sanitizer



May 16, 1961 R. D. BOLDING 2,983,929

FLUSH TANK DEODORIZER AND SANITIZER Filed May 29, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR. EJCHAZD D. BOLDNG- ATTORNEYS May 16, 196] R. D. BOLDING FLUSHTANK DEODORIZER AND SANITIZER Filed May 29, '1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fo s72 ?Z/ 9 Ice 96 us E l g-7 5 I /2 F 8 INVENTOR.

BIC-HARD D. BQL-DING- AT TOIZN EYS FLUSH TANK DEODORIZER AND SANITIZERRichard D. Balding, 275 E. Carter St., Rialto, Calif. Filed May 29,1958, Ser. No. 738,665

El Claim. (Cl. 4-228) This invention relates to improvements inautomatic deodorizers and sanitizers for toilet flush tanks, and moreparticularly to an improved device of this kind which involves a liquiddispenser having a float valve which is opened by the fall of the waterlevel in a flush tank so as to dispense deodorizing and sanitizing intorefill water entering the flush tank.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a simpler, morepractical and more eficient device of this kind whose valve isunconnected to and is independent of the mechanical movements ofcomponents of a flush tank mechanism, and wherein the dispensing ofdeodorizing and sanitizing liquid is produced by gravity and siphoningaction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a relatively inexpensivedevice of the character indicated above which can be produced formerchandising and storing as a compact and sealed unit, which cancontain deodorizing and sanitizing liquid, and wherein an operatingcomponent of the device is utilized as the closure for the liquidcontainer, and as a sealed enclosure for the remaining operatingcomponents of the device.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention willbe apparent from the following description and the accompanyingdrawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, a specific form ofthe invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a group perspective View of a device of the invention, insealed condition, and of a bracket for suspending the device in a toiletflush tank;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical transverse section taken on the line2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of a toilet flush tank, with itscover removed, showing the device mounted therein; I

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical longitudinal section takenon the line 44 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a vertical transverse section, on a reduced scale, taken onthe line 5--5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a further enlarged fragmentary vertical transverse sectiontaken through the lower part of the liquid container and the float valvestructure, showing the valve in elevated closed position;

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6, showing the. valve in depressedopen position; and

Figure 8 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on the line 88 ofFigure 7.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like nu merals designatelike parts throughout the several views, the numeral 10 generallydesignates a conventional toilet flush tank having a bottom wall 12,side walls 14, and end walls 16. Mounted on an intermediate part of thebottom wall 12 is a flush tank seat assembly 18 including a seat 20communicating with a flush pipe 22 leading to an associated toilet bowl(not shown) and an upstanding overflow pipe 24. A flush valve assembly26 includes v United States Patent a ball 28 for seating in the seat 20to provide for retaining flushing water W in the tank 10 in the usualway.

The illustrated device of the invention, generally designated 30, ispackaged for merchandising and storing at a unit, as shown in Figures 1and 2, comprising an elongated container 32, preferably of cylindricalform, having a closed end 34, and an open end in the form of a reduceddiameter externally threaded neck 36. An external lateral flange or bead38 is provided around the closed end of the container 32 so as to definean annular shoulder 40 to bear upon a. resilient split ring 42 securedto an arm 44 of an inverted U-shaped hook 46 constituting a mountingbracket 48 for the container 32. For securing the bracket 48 around thecontainer 32 in the merchandized and storage ocndition of the unit, theends of the ring 42 have therein oppositely formed notches 50 and 52which are engageable with each other, with the ring ends overlapped soas to clamp the ring 42 on the container 32 under the shoulder 40. Onone end of the ring 42 is formed a return bent circular hook 54 whichserves as a dispensing tube retainer.

The device 30 further comprises a pan-shaped closure cap 56 which has aflat web 58 and thereon a peripheral flange or side wall 60 which isboth intern-ally and externally threaded, as indicated at 62 and 64,respectively. The cap 56 is threaded on the container neck, and has inits web 58 a relatively large central opening 66, and a relatively smalleccentric opening 68. Securably engaged, as indicated at 70, in thesmall opening 68 and communicating with the interior of the container 32is a relatively small diameter flexible dispensing tube 72. In themerchandising and storage condition of the device 30, the free end ofthe tube 72 is closed and sealed, as indicated at 74, to contain thedeordorizing and sanitizing liquid L in the container 32, and theclosure 74 must be cut away when the device is installed for use.

Fixedly secured, in suitable manner, in the relatively large centralopening 66 of the cap web 58, and extending longitudinally outwardly ordownwardly from the web 58, is a hollow cylindrical valve seat 76,having a flat outer end wall 78, a side wall which is imperforate exceptfor a row of relatively small airholes 82 extending therearound close tothe web 58, and a conical inner end wall 84. The smaller inner end ofthe conical wall 84 has a central opening 86 which is in communicationwith the related end of a relatively small diameter straight air tube 88which has an open end 90 located close to and spaced from the closed end34 of the container 32. The air tube 88 is positioned axially in thecontainer 32.

The outer end wall 78 of the valve seat 76 has a central, preferablysquare valve stem opening 92 therein which is surrounded by a pluralityof relatively small air holes 94. Working non-rotatably and freelythrough the valve stem opening 92 is a preferably square valve stem 96having a threaded outer end portion 98 backed by a fixed collar 100, anda smooth inner end portion 102 working in the opening 92, whichterminates in an enlarged diameter valve 104.

The valve 104 has a cylindrical portion 106 sliding against the valveseat side wall 80 and a conical inner end portion or needle 108 which isarranged to conformably engage the conical end wall 84 of the valve seat76 and closethe opening 86 leading to the air tube 88.

In the packaged condition of the device 10, as shown in Figure 2, thedispensing tube 72 is coiled around the valve seat 76 and the projectingpart of the valve stem 96 and a semi-elliptical cup-shaped hollowvalve-operating float 110, having internal screw threads 112 at its openend 114, is screwed onto the flange 60 of the cap 56, so as to serve asan enclosure for the dispensing tube 72, the valve stem 96, the valveseat 76, and the cap 56, and seal the device against leakage of itsliquid content.

The device 30, as shown in Figure 4 and other figures of the drawings,is made ready for installation and use, by removing the float 110 fromthe cap 56, snipping off the closed end 74 of the dispensing tube 72 anduncoiling the same, and then threading the float 110 into the threadedend portion 98 of the valve stem 96, the closed end of the float 110being provided with a threaded blind bore 116 for this purpose. Thedevice 30 is then installed in the flush tank by inserting it downwardlytherein and engaging the mounting bracket hook 48 over the upper edge ofthe end Wall 16 of the tank 10 adjacent to the overflow pipe 24; andthen running the dispensing tube 72 through the retainer 54 on thebracket 48 and dropping the open end of the tube 72 into the overflowpipe 24. The dispensing tube 72 must be long enough so that its open end73 is then below the level of the lower end of the container 32, so thatthe necessary gravity and siphon flow of liquid from the container 32into the overflow pipe 24 will take place under the conditionshereinafter described. As seen in Figure 4, the float 110, in theinstalled position of the device 30, is sufliciently spaced above thebottom wall 12 of the flush tank 10, that the float 110 is free to fallto the depressed valve opening position thereof shown in Figure 7,without striking the bottom wall 12.

The above described components of the device 30 can be made of anysuitable rust and corrosion-resistant materials, such as suitable metalsand plastics, and are seen to be capable of easy and economicalmanufacture.

In operation, the flush tank 10 being filled to normal level withflushing water W, as shown in Figure 4, the float 110 is in an elevatedposition, wherein the needle 108 of the valve 104 is seated in theconical end 84 of the valve seat 76 and closes the opening 86, and thecylindrical portion 106 of the valve is in closing relation to the holes82. In this condition, outside air cannot enter the container 32 via theair tube 88, and this precludes flow of liquid L out of the container 32via the dispensing tube 72.

However, when the water W in the tank 10 is flushed out of the pipe 22,by operation of the tank mechanism, and subsides to a level near thebottom wall 12 of the tank 10, thefloat 110 falls to its depressedposition, carrying with it the valve 104 and thereby opening the holes82 in the valve seat side wall 80, and also the opening 86 to the airtube 88, so that air present in the tank above the subsided watertherein, is free to flow through the valve seat holes 94 and 82 into thevalve seat 76 and upwardly through the air tube 88 into the interior ofthe container 32, and thereby free the liquid L to flow partially bygravity and partially by siphon action, through the dispensing tube 72into the tank overflow pipe 24. This flow of deodorizing and sanitizingliquid from the container 32 into the tank overflow pipe 24 accompaniesentrance of flushing water into the tank 10. Rising of the flushingwater in the tank 10 toward its normal level elevates the float 110 fromits depressed valve-opening position to its elevated valveclosingposition, so that flow of liquid L from the container 32 is shut off,until the next flushing of the tank 10. Obviously, the deodorant andsanitizer flowing into the bowl from the overflow pipe 24 eflicientlydeodorizes and sanitizes the water present in the associated toiletbowl.

Although I have shown and described herein a specific form of myinvention, it is to be understood that any change or changes in thestructure and in the relative arrangements of the components arecontemplated as being within the spirit and scope of the invention asdefined by the claim appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

The combination with a toilet flush tank having a bottom wall, an endwall, and an overflow tube adjacent to said end wall, of a verticalcontainer containing deo dorizing and sanitizing liquid having a closedupper end wall, an open neck on the lower end of the container, a capclosing the neck and having a web and a flange, said flange beingengaged around the neck, a vertical hollow valve seat traversing andsecured to said web, said valve seat having a side wall, a lower endwall and an upper end wall, said upper end wall being provided with acentral opening, an upstanding air tube positioned axially and spacedlywithin said container above said valve seat, said air tube having anopen lower end secured to said upper end wall of the valve seat incommunication with said central opening, said air tube having an openupper end positioned close to and spaced below the upper end wall of thecontainer, said valve seat side wall having air holes therein below thecap, a valve within said valve seat having a lower portion engaging saidside wall for closing and opening said air holes and an upper portionfor engagement with the upper end wall of the valve seat and closing thecentral opening therein, a valve stem fixed to and depending from saidvalve and freely traversing the lower end Wall of the valve seat, saidvalve stem having a lower end portion below the valve seat, a floatsecured on said lower end portion of the valve stem, bracket meanssuspending said container from the tank end wall at an elevationenabling free upward and downward movements of said float withoutcontact thereof with the flush tank bottom wall, and a flexible liquiddispensing tube having a first open end secured through the web of saidcap at one side of the valve seat, said dispensing tube leading into thetank overflow pipe and having an open second end disposed within theoverflow pipe at a level below said container, elevation of the floatfrom depressed position by flushing water entering the tank serving toposition the valve to close said air holes and said central opening tothe air pipe, and subsidence of the float due to fall of water in thetank below the level of the container as the tank is flushed serving toposition the valve to open the air holes and said central opening to theair tube, and provide for flow of liquid from the container through saiddispensing tube into the tank overflow pipe into flushing water enteringthe overflow pipe.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS966,900 Garnet Aug. 9, 1910 1,322,838 Sowerby Nov. 25, 1919 1,909,836Kline May 16, 1933 2,372,544 Borman et a1. Mar. 27, 1945 2,492,944Aycock Jan. 3, 1950 2,518,637 Priess Aug. 15, 1950 2,587,388 Ryder Feb.26, 1952 2,623,500 Riley et al. Dec. 30, 1952 2,870,943 Scoggin Jan. 27,1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 692,563 Great Britain June 10, 1953

